Lining holder for automobile bodies



W 1935- o. o. BOWEIRS LINING HOLDER FOR AUTOMOBILE BODIES Filed April24, 1954 Jfz;

0. 0.1?0w-er9 Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES attest PATENT LININGHOLDER FOR AUTOMOBILE BODIES 4 Claims.

This invention relates to means for holding the fabric lining of anautomobile body in place including the head lining. Linings of thischaracter are ordinarily held in place either by cementing or by tackingthe lining in place, the head lining being usually held in place bystrips or tacks engaging the bows.

The object of the present invention is toprovide a very simple means forholding the head lining in place and stretching this head lining andprovide equally simple means for holding the lining of the sides inplace, which means is such as to permit both the head lining and theside linings to be installed without the necessity of using tacks andwhich permits the head lining and the side linings to be quickly andeasily taken out and replaced without injury to the fabric.

A further object is to provide a structure of this character in whichthe lining for the sides is carried upon panels, the construction beingsuch as to permit the panels to be readily installed, and a furtherobject is to provide a construction of this character in which the sidepanels act to tighten the head lining.

A further object is to provide longitudinally extending channel membersriveted or otherwise attached to the metal sides of the body andextending longitudinally thereof, these channel members having means forengaging the lateral margins of the head lining and permitting the upperends of the side panels to be received therein and tighten the headlining, the lower ends of the side linings being detachably engaged withthe side Walls of the automobile.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a transverse section through a metal auto body showing myinvention in place therein;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed section of the upper end ofone of the channels, the corresponding upper end of one of the panelsand the fabriclining;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the channelmembers;

Figure 4 is a tranverse section on the line t4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the outer wall of a metalautomobile body which extends over the top of the automobile, Bdesignating the inner vertical wall of the body which is attached to theouter wall A at its top and bottom in any suitable manner. The top isbraced by longitudinally extending and transversely extending bows. Ihave illustrated in Figure 1 wooden bows C extending longitudinally ofthe top, or roof.

For the purpose of supporting the head lining Ill in place, I providetwo longitudinally extending channeled members ll, one wall it beinglonger than the other wall it. This wall l2, as illustrated in Figure 1,is riveted or otherwise attached at M to the wall B. The inner face ofthe wall l2 has outwardly and downwardly extending prongs l5 struck outfrom it, as shown particularly well in Figure 3. The head lining II] hasits margin engaging with these prongs l5 shown in Figure 2.

The side lining I6 is mounted upon a panel ll which may be made of anysuitable material, the material of the lining it being folded over thelower edge of this panel. This panel may have any desired lengthdepending upon its position in the automobile. The upper end of thelining I6 extends over the top of the panel. This lining may be cementedor otherwise attached to the panel either throughout its entire extentor upon those portions of the fabric it which extend over upon the innerface of the panel.

The lower end of the panel is provided with a split stud I8, theextremity of which is enlarged or bulbous. There may be as many of thesestuds attached to the lower margin of the panel as desired. These studsare inserted through openings in the inner wall B as shown in Figure 1and thus detachably support the lower edge of the panel.

In order to prevent the head lining in from sagging, I provide thetransverse bows or channeled members l9 shown in detail in Figure 4.These are formed to provide a hollow element with a narrow slot 20.Attached to the head lining H1 is a fabric strip 21 whose margin iswrapped around a cord or like member 22 and is adapted to be insertedwithin the slot 20 so as to support this fabric strip 2i throughout itsentire length, thus supporting the head lining. The member l9 at itsends is provided with a longitudinally extending lug 23 which extendsover the topof the bows C and with two laterally extending lugs 29 whichare attached to the inner faces of the bows C. Thus the transverse bowor channel member l9 may be supported upon the longitudinal bows and notonly strengthen the top but also act as means for supporting the headlining Ill.

In putting this head lining in place, the head lining is first put inplace and the ends engaged with the downwardly extending hooks or prongsI5. Then the panels I! are forced upward into the channels ll, thustightening the head lining and rendering it taut throughout its entireextent. The studs I8 are then forced through the apertures in the wall Band the job is complete.

It will be understood that by the term panels I wish to include not onlypanels which extend down from the roof of the car nearly to the lowerend of the side walls but also the strips over the doors and windows,which strips are extended up into the channeled members II in the samemanner as the panels I! illustrate, these strips being held in place bystuds such as the studs l8 or by any other suitable means.

It will be seen that this device will hold the head lining and sidewalls of upholstering more securely than they are held by the use oftacks or other means now in use.

Furthermore, it will be seen that the head lining and upholstering of anautomobile can be readily taken out and replaced without damage to theupholstering and in about one-third of the time required in the systemnow in use. In case an automobile is damaged, it is frequently necessaryto take the head lining down and the upholstering out to get the bodyback in place. Where this is done, the upholstering and head liningfrequently get out of place and cannot be fitted back exactly in thesame place they originally occupied and, therefore, when replaced, theydo not have the same appearance and this disadjustment shows plainlythat the lining or upholstering has been replaced and readjusted anddamaged. By supporting the lining in the manner shown by me, the removaland replacement can be done with much less labor without damage andwithout damage to the side lining or the head lining and with a muchbetter appearance. It is obvious that this invention may be readilyinstalled in automobiles at a cost certainly not over the cost ofinstalling lining as now practiced where the tacking of upholstering andheadlining is relied upon.

While I have illustrated the application of my invention to an all metalbody, it will be obvious that it may be applied to other forms of bodieswithout departing from the spirit of the invention. It will also be seenthat many minor changes might be made without departing from the spiritof the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. In a vehicle having a body including side walls and a roof,downwardly opening channel elements attached to the inside face of thebody at the upper ends of the side walls, the outside wall of eachchannel element having downwardly extending hook-like members, a headlining secured at its margins to said hook-like members, and a singlemeans engageable with the side walls and extending up into the channelelements and engaging the head lining to tighten it across the channelelements and pull said lining onto the hooks.

2. In a vehicle having a body including side walls and a. roof,downwardly opening channel elements attached to the inside face of thebody, the inside walls of the channel element having downwardlyextending hook-like prongs, a head lining having its margins extendinginto the channel elements and engaged with the prongs, and side panelsof stiff material having their upper edges extending upward into thechannels and engaging the head lining to draw the same onto the prongsand tighten it, the panels being detachably secured to the side walls ofthe body.

3. In a vehicle having a body including side walls and a roof, the sidewalls extending downward from their junction with the roof, downwardlyopening channel elements attached to the upper ends of the side walls atthe junction of the side walls with the roof, each channel elementhaving its outside wall attached to the corresponding side wall of thebody and said outside wall of each channel element having prongs stampedout therefrom and disposed within the channel, the prongs extendingdownward approximately parallel to the outside wall of the channel, ahead lining having its margins extending into the channel elements, theprongs projecting through the margins of the head lining, and sidepanels of stiff material having their upper edges extending up into thechannels and engaging the head lining between the prongs and the innerflanges of the channels and when in place drawing the head lining ontothe prongs and taut across the space between the channels, the panels attheir lower ends being detachably secured to the side walls of the body.

4. In combination with the frame of an auto or similar body, achannel-shaped member secured to said frame within said body with itschannel opening downwardly, prong members secured in the channel membersto one side wall thereof and pointing downwardly, a roof liningextending across the edge of the other side wall of the channel andacross the channel and having said prongs extending through the marginalportion thereof, and a side wall panel having an edge forced up into thechannel against the lining extending thereacross and constantly exertinga strain on the lining tending to draw it onto the prongs.

OLIVER O. BOWERS.

